Idaho news. (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1887-1891, 1887-10-08
THE GRAND ARMY.
Work OF the Eneampment-rhe Come
snauder-in.ChEec and sais work En-
dorsed.

uauo~r~&n-N@Aeb ana hat@ Work kn-
d0rsed.
ST. LOUIS, Mo-, Sept. 2s.-The national
encampment Of the Grand army assembled
this morning at O'Clock. The reports o.
committees was resumed, the first in order
being the committee on pensions. They
relate their efforts to procure liberal legisla.
ton from congress, and the fate of the de-
pendent pension bill. They call attention 70
the Mexican pension bill, far more liberal
than the one for the soldiers against the
rebellion; this bill met the approval Of the
president and they were fairly stunned
when, from the same hand, came the
veto of q measure of like principle,
but intiniteSmal in degree, for the veterans
of the war against treason. They appealed
to the Grand army of the republic, and
the response came from 500, 600 members
in no uncertain tones. The committee
therefore prepared q new pension bill
This bill makes provision for pensions to
all veterans who are or may hereafter be-
come unable to earn their own livelihood;
for direct continuance of pensions for Wild
ows in their own right, for the
increase of the present pittance to
minor children, and for fathers or mothers
from any date of dependence.
Such law wonld at once remove fully
$4,000 veterans from the public aims
houses, where they now rest, making them
pensioners instead of paupers, provide PEN
slons for fully as many more now DEEPEN
dent upon private charity, and put into the
general pension laws, for the first time, a
recognition of the principle that pensions
may be granted to survivors of the late war
without absolute proof of disability arising
from service, proof almost impossible to
procure after lapse of more than twenty
years. The bill is similar in general prin-
ciple to that vetoed, but the
OBJECTIONABLE PAUPER CLAUSE
IS omitted, making this a disability and
not dependent bill. The result of SUBJ
hitting this bill to the comrades
of the Grand army shows that
whatever legislation some of the comrades
desire, they are practically unanimous for
everything contained in this bill. What
ever else may be desirable, the committee
knows from an experience of five years
that any additional legislation is only to be
secured, inch by inch, after the most per-
slstent effort The committee therefore
recommend the continuance of an earnest
effort in favor of the following: The bill
prepared by this committee grants
pensions to all veterans now disabled or in
need, and to mothers and fathers from the
date of their dependence; the continuance
OF pensions to widows in their own right,
and increase for minor children; all of the
recommendations for an increase and
equalization of pensions for special dis
abilities made in the recent report
by Pension Commissioner Black; pension
of S12 per month to all widows of hon
orably discharged soldiers and sailors of
the late war; increased pensions for severer
disabilities, substantially as presented in
the bill prepared by the United
States MANNED veterans league; PEN
sions for the survivors of rebel
prisoners, substantially as presented in the
bill OF the national association of prisoners
OF war; increased pensions for the loss of
hearing or eyesight; a re-enactment of the
arrears law; an equitable equalization of
bountles; the same pension for the widow
of the representative volunteer soldier of
the Union army-John A. Logan-as ia
paid to the widows of those typical regu-
lars, Thomas the Crock of Chicamaugua. -
and Hancock, always THE Superb. The
report was adopted without debate.
COMMENCING FAIRcHILD.
The committee on the annual address of
the commander-in-chief endorses the adj
dress and congTatulates COMMANDMENT
chief Fairchild and the Grand army upon
his administration of the past year. They
recommend the presentation of q proper
testimonial to him. They desire to specially
express their approval of general orders
Nos. IL and IL. believing it entirely i'm
proper and contrary to the rules for posts to
express themselves by official action at the
request of persons outside the Grand army
nf the Ranublia ]
ton, unless officially authorized or re-
quested so to do through the regular official
channels of the organization. They recon-
mend the appointment ofPast Commander
ln-Chief Robert B. Beath as
historian of the order and endorses
the recommendation of permanent national
headquarters, and approve the suggestion
tnat the general government include in the /
next decennial census an enumeration of |
union soldiers and sailors of the late war /
who may be living in 1890. These recon-
mendatlons were unanimously adopted, |
with three rousing cheers for Fairchild.
The department of Pennsylvania present /
ed to every delegate and other persons en-
titled to seats in the convention, a memo
rial bronze medallion of Lucius Fairchild,
the present commander-in-chief.
The Grand army will meet in Columbus,
o., IN 1888, the week of the centennial an
niyersary of the settlement of that city.
The report of the committee on returns
made by various general officers, were
read, commencing their services, etc. The
committee on resolutions, among them one
In regard to polygamy in Utah, the COM
mlttee reported adversely, on the ground
that the matter was foreign to the purposes
of the Grand army and politi-
cal in its nature. The report
caused considerable discussion, but
was finally adopted, Van der Wort,
OF Nebraska and Others, claimed that one
of the objects of the Grand army was to
encourage honor ndpurity in public affairs,
and that this was strictly in the line Of its
work. The other resolutions state that the
government should furnish each honorably
discharged soldier, sailor or marine, on
application, his medical record. That there
should be place set apart by law,
at the capital, where all captured
flags and other trophies of the war could be
and displayed. The sub-com-
mittee on resolutions, to whom was re-
terred the report of and greeting of the
nth national convention of the Women's
relief corps, recommended that the Grand
army most heartily endorse that auxiliary
The work of that corps is a
sulogy.
Floods in Mexico.